Redemption
by paradise70
Summary: Clay Mosby and Newt Call were two men who had lost everything they had and were trying to pick up the pieces of the lives they had left. Divided by pride and past wrongs, the two men remain at odds but strangely connected. Thea Call, cousin to Newt arrives in town and attracts the attention of Mosby. Can this she help mend their differences?


Thea Call smoothed her hair back from her forehead as she looked around at the small town of Curtis Wells, where she had just been left off by the stagecoach. The muddy streets, dirty tents, and wooden buildings reminded her of parts of Texas that she had been to, when visiting her uncle. This was the place that her cousin Newt had come to make a new life for himself, only to lose it when his wife perished in a fire. News had come to her that he had become a bounty hunter and now lived life as if he was seeking death.

"Miss Call?" She turned to see a thin man with graying brown hair hurry up to her.

"Yes, my name is Althea. I'm presuming that you are Josiah Peale, Hannah's father." She offered him her hand.

Taking her arm, and calling to a man named Unbob to carry her luggage, Josiah led Thea to the only hotel in town, called the Lonesome Dove hotel. She stopped in front, her heart constricting at seeing the name of the place that Newt had been raised, where she had spent so many times as a child. Josiah nodded in understanding, knowing the reason for her reverie. Suddenly the doors to the hotel burst open, and a man came stumbling down the stairs with another man in filthy clothing close behind him, with his gun held out. Josiah pushed her out of the way, and she felt strong arms close around her before she suffered a fall. "Are you alright, maam?" Althea found herself looking into warm amber eyes and she recognized his Southern accent.

"Thank you, Mr..?"

"Mosby, Clay Mosby, at your service, maam." His eyes raked over the mahogany haired beauty standing in front of him, her bearing that bespeaking a lady. "May I have the privilege of your acquaintance?"

"Althea Call. From your accent I am guessing you are from Virginia."

Surprise filled Clay's features, as people usually only recognized him being Southern by his drawl, not the state he came from. "Yes, I am from that proud state."

She smiled at his puzzlement. "My mother was a Virginia belle who married a Scotsman."

Their conversation was interrupted by the two men fighting, the one with the gun seeming to have the upper hand. He continued kicking the man even after he stopped moving. Thea's eyes widened as she recognized the man so brutally beating his victim as the cousin she had come so far to find.

"Newt, what are you doing? Stop it!" She would have pushed her way into the melee except for Clay's hand restraining her.

Newton Call, hearing a woman yelling his name, stopped what he had been doing and stared at his cousin Thea. He barely recognized her as he hadn't seen her in several years. "Thea, what are you doing here?"

"I came because of you. I was told you were in bad sorts, and…obviously from what I can see, that isn't far from the truth."

Shaking his head at her, Call put his gun in his holster. "Go home, Thea. You shouldn't be here. " He walked away without another word to her. Sensing her distress, and cursing Call for being such a bastard to his own kin, Clay put his hand on the small of her back and guided her to the hotel . He found them a table, and called to the waitress to bring them a bottle of rum. When the bottle arrived, Clay poured two glasses and pushed one into her hand.

"It'll help." She nodded and took a swig.

Josiah came over to their table and apologized to Thea. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have contacted you. I thought maybe seeing kin would bring him to his senses but….I may have been wrong. I couldn't locate your uncle and I found letters that you had written to Hannah."

"We had written each other a couple of times while they were married. Hannah wanted to keep in touch with a least one of her husband's relatives. My uncle Woodrow wasn't exactly available so she settled on me. I was sorry to hear of her death."

"Thank you, Althea. It was a tragedy for all of us. Will you be staying on even after what you saw."

Thea turned determined eyes on both Clay and Josiah. "I don't give up so easy. "

Clay laughed and refilled her glass. "Truly the daughter of a Virginian."

An attractive dark haired woman walked up to their table and rested her hand possessively on Clay's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Miss Call, but we don't seem to have any rooms." Her eyes glittered with hostility as she looked at Thea. Thea felt an instant dislike to the woman and didn't like her familiarity with Clay. Clay apparently didn't either because he instantly removed her hand and smiled at Thea, disregarding the other woman.

"Amanda, you don't even have one spare room for the lady? I find that hard to believe."

"I'd let you stay in the print shop, but it's not in fit condition for anyone." Josiah seemed filled with remorse for having brought Thea to Curtis Wells.

"Why don't you let the lady stay at the Ambrosia, Clay?" Amanda purred at her former lover, who gave her a disgusted glance.

"I have an extra room over my shop that Miss Call could stay in." Clay smiled at the woman with short blond hair that had apparently overheard their conversation.

"Mattie Shaw, this is Althea Call." The two women shook hands and Clay pulled out a chair for Mattie. Clearly annoyed at being ignored, Amanda stalked off.

"Are you sure it wouldn't be an inconvenience, Mattie. I would have to insist on paying rent."

"It would be nice to have the company of another female. The rent would help if you can spare it. My business has come up a bit short in past months." She looked at Clay ruefully. "You see, Althea, I am the town undertaker and the gunsmith."

"Well, I'm sorry business is bad for you, Mattie. However, it means the streets of Curtis Wells are safer. Maybe we should find you a different business."

"Maybe….."Mattie patted Thea's arm in a friendly manner. "Why don't I show Althea where she will be staying, and we'll get her situated."

"Well I guess I'm not needed since everything seems to be worked out." Josiah started to leave the table and then hesitated, sending a warning glance in Thea's direction. "Be careful of that one," he pointed to Clay. "He's headed to the bowels of hell and he'll take you with him if you let him."

Clay shook his head at Thea and Mattie. "Well, Josiah, the ladies now know your opinion of me, so why don't you go back to wherever it is that you go." Josiah bowed and shuffled out of the hotel.

Mattie and Clay laughed at Thea's confused expression. "Josiah has been a little touched in the head since his daughter's tragic death." Clay's voice lowered. "Truth be told I feel sorry for the man so I don't pay too much heed to his comments about me."

"Well that is kind of you, Mr. Mosby…." She briefly placed her hand over his. " I appreciate your consideration toward both of us. I consider Josiah kin by way of Newt."

"In that case, I will be even more considerate toward him and I insist you call me Clay." Clay linked fingers with hers, and she left it for a moment before pulling it back. He slightly smiled noting she did not seem unaffected by him. Noticing the slight tension between the two, Mattie interrupted.

"Why don't we order something now and then I will take Althea to see where she will be staying."

"Surely, Mattie. My treat and then tonight I would like to take you two lovely ladies out."

Mattie started to decline but Thea accepted for both of them. "Thank you, Clay and I insist you call me Thea. My close friends and family call me that and you both have proven to be friends."

Clay stood up and went to fetch them service. Mattie whispered to Thea that she didn't have anything appropriate to wear.

"Mattie, I am sure I can find you something among my clothing. We look to be of a size."

Though looking a bit discomfited, Mattie nodded and Thea lightly patted her shoulder.


End file.
